WHITEWASH WINTER

SWANSEA/LAKE MAQUARIE



This weekend we headed up north of Sydney about 130km to a coastal oasis called Swansea.

Camping in Swansea with the Fitzpatricks

Camping in blacksmiths caravan park just past the Swansea bridge on the Northern side, and being just a walk pace from either Lake Maquarie, or Blacksmiths Beach. Arriving around 4pm Friday afternoon and after setting up decided to go for a quick fishing session as we only had about an hour of light left, but with no luck targetting Bream and Flathead on the Squidgy Wriggler in Wasabi and Firework colours.

Beach fishing on Blacksmiths Beach

The next day as i checked Willy Weather it read a 1 metre inshore swell, wind blowing 5-10 knots you would think that would be great fishing conditions, well no! because it also says that expect 63mm of rain in the next 24 hours! So out came the wet weather gear as i wasnt stupid enough not to pack,  So having a choice of destinations comes with choice of species and choice of gear. We decided to target Australian Salmon from the beach. Rigging up with 15 pound Power Pro braid and 20 pound monofilament leader, star sinker, size 2 gang hooks, full pichards, and T Swivels. A 12 foot Shimano Aerowave Beach Rod and Shimano Stradic 5000FJ reel.

Nearly reaching the 60cm

 Being low tide and having to walk out to waste deep to cast over the breaking waves soon separates the keen from the shy. I had been fishing for around an hour on Blacksmiths Beach in around 12 degrees with a fair share of  false alarms my drag began to scream. Reeling the rod that had quite an amount af weight on the line for a few minutes i realised i had not seen the salmon jump yet and began to think i may have hooked a chopper Greenback Tailor. Having the fish as close as around 5 metres from the shore and seeing the size of the fish he had broke away, Reeling in the line my guess was correct as it was definately a Tailor as he had actually biten through the middle gang hook and i estimated the fish to be around 50cm from what i could seen as it surfaced.
Getting back in that cold water to cast and i was fishing for around 30 mins when the sun was just about set my drag began to run again and this felt like an even bigger fish on the line, moments after hooking it,the fish had jumped in the distance past the breaking waves and i had definately had an Australian Salmon this time. I personally think this is the best way to catch these species and that is off the beach, they seem to fight harder or maybe its just the breaking waves that make it feel like it either way its my favourite way to target this beautiful species. A beautiful fish it was measuring 57cm on the Brag Mat.



As most people know and for those that dont know, you need to bleed an Australian Salmon as it has a lot of blood content and it spoils the flesh if you are planning on taking this fish home, and the best way is to cut its throat and hang it upside down or alot of people usually bury its head in the sand to let the blood drain.

Bleeding a Salmon

Starlo clssix Bream rod, Terez and lipstik

Setting up a Shimano Starlo Classix 7 foot Squidgy Rod with 10 pound Power Pro and 5 pound mono leader and Squidgy Shad in white lightning colour and 8 ounce Fish head jig we were set to target bream for the second round, heading for lake Maquarie we settled on a rock breakwall and began to flick the squidgies.

Jessi with her Sand Whiting

After around an hour of flicking different places along the rocks we decide to head to a near by waveless beach in Lake Maquarie and after another hour an still no bream i decided to pack it in, only to be told that my partner Jess had hooked a fish and I predicted it to be a Sand Whiting, and a Sand Whiting it is measuring only 25cm seen this little fella see the water for another day.




This place is a beautiful ocean getaway only an hour and a half north of Sydney and a place that my partner Jess and I have begun to holiday here around twice a year, it has beautiful sunsets amzing long beaches, alot of family friendly activities come Summertime, affordable accomodation around this gorgeous lake that is Australia's largest coastal salt water lake, covering an area of 110 square kilometres (42.5 sq mi).Lake Macquarie is connected to the sea by Swansea Channel and Lakes Entrance and recreational fishing is improving as fish stocks respond to the recent removal of commercial fishing and the significant increase in water quality that has come from a concerted environmental program undertaken by the state government and council.

 The next day we decide to head to the breakwall off Blacksmiths Beach in rigged up with a Shimano Terez 702 Shimano Stradic 5000FJ with 15 pound Braid and 20 pound mono leader equipped with Shimano's Wax Wing Sub Surface lure in search of bonito as well i packed my Shimano Aerowave 12 footer to chase those Australian Salmon off the rock. Casting out at the end of the breakwall spinning my Wax Wing Lures for around 30 mins before switching outfits to the 12 footer and rigging full pilchards on gang hooks and casting out to Sea

. Fishing for around 20 mins with everyone around me pulling in Australian Salmon i had hooked my first off the rocks and quite an acrobat as he jumped aroune 3 times during the fight getting him close to the rocks edge and noone to net the fish for me i asked Jess gto hold the rod and keep the tension as i landed the fish as i grabbed the leader the fish headed under gthe rocks and busted me off. I didnt mind so much as i hooked another 3 that day all over 60cm and showing off with their regular acrobatic jumps an amazing fish to fight in the colder months of summer.



Jess then decided she wanted to try a hook a fish as the old guy next to us was reeling in a number of Silver Trevally she wanted to hook one for herself and as I was talking her into forgetting about the trevally as they rarely ever go for a full Pilchard she had hooked a fish and after reeling it to my suprise she had hooked a 30cm Silver Trevally as the old man next to us assured her its not a good look for me for her to show me up, but I took it like a man.

As i tried for a couple more Salmon the next day off the rocks in the Terrential rain by myself I hooked another Australian Salmon that would close my Salmon account for Swansea, as there was yet noone to net this fish for me I had no choice but to grab the leader and cut him off. I thought I may as well try for another so I casted out again and had some big bites but no takes, but the bites continued and then i hooked it, I knew it wasnt a Salmon as it had not much of a fight in him I thought maybe a Small Bonito but realised it was a 10 cm (Body Measure) Sand Crab that I had released and decided to take that catch as my last for Swansea.

GREAT OCEAN GETAWAY, GREAT SUNSETS, GREAT PELAGIC FISHING, GREAT PLACE.... SWANSEA

MILF "Man I Love Fishing"